Jerry Aronson American, 1945-
Jerry Aronson (born in New York City) became interested in psychology and photographic narrative while a student at Wayne State University (B.A. in psychology and photography, 1966). He studied with Aaron Siskind at the Institute of Design, Illinois Institute of Technology (M.S. in filmmaking and photography, 1969).
Since 1968 Aronson has been an independent filmmaker, with a particular emphasis on biographical documentaries. He chooses complex subjects that offer a "lesson in living," aiming to elicit compassion and understanding from his viewers. The Divided Trail (1978), which explores the complicated plight of Native Americans in urban society, earned Aronson an Academy Award nomination (1979), among other distinctions. He received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Colorado Humanities Program for his 1993 production The Life and Times of Allen Ginsberg, which was screened in several venues, including the 1993 Sundance Film Festival. Aronson also directed a six-hour documentary miniseries for Turner Productions titled The Roots of Country Music (1995-96).
Aronson worked as cinematographer for the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (1969-70), and as filmmaker-in-residence for the Colorado Arts Council (1975-77). He has taught film at Columbia College (1969-74) and at the University of Colorado (since 1972). Aronson lives in Boulder. A.W.